Sam Hawk Korean Restaurant brings authentic flavors to Provo
Beef Bulgogi, pot stickers and Mandu Guk from Sam Hawk Korean Restaurant in Provo on Wednesday.
Beef Bulgogi at Sam Hawk Korean Restaurant in Provo.
Pot stickers from Sam Hawk Korean Restaurant.
Pot stickers and Mandu Guk from Sam Hawk Korean Restaurant.
Pot stickers and Mandu Guk from Sam Hawk Korean Restaurant.
It wasn’t until I was well into my college career that I had my first experience with Korean food, and let’s just say it was a little less than stellar.
Coming home after a long day of work and classes, I realized that my roommate, a native of Korea, had mistakenly left her extra pasta noodles in the sink, dangling down the drain and surrounded by dirty dishes. Frustrated but undeterred, I reached in to get rid of the smelly leftovers and restore peace to my shared kitchen. Little did I know that what I was grabbing wasn’t pasta.
You can probably use your imagination from here, but to give you an idea, spaghetti noodles don’t have tentacles, and certainly don’t smell quite the same as the little decapitated octopus parts I held in my hand. They also wouldn’t cause quite the same trauma as my unsuspecting self experienced when the ultimate realization hit. Sad but true, I have a ridiculous fear of sea critters. But I digress.
Fast forward to the present day. It’s safe to say I was a bit hesitant about the idea of intentionally heading out for Korean food, especially after my little college mishap, but, willing to give everything another chance, I grabbed my crew and was actually blown away by the offerings of Sam Hawk Korean Restaurant in Provo.
A little strip mall store off Freedom Boulevard, it wouldn’t be hard to drive past the restaurant without even noticing it, but through the years, it’s been gaining a reputation for quality food that continues to fill up its tables with fans who find it totally worth the wait.
And a wait it was, but not an entirely unpleasant one. In the few moments until we were seated we were able to take in the sparse but authentic decorations, as well as the delicious looking mounds of food that had already been served to other tables — clearly the real focal point of the restaurant.
Ample time was given to browse through the menu options (most of which I couldn’t pronounce, but isn’t that the fun of an authentic dining experience?), and we eventually decided on four separate entrées and an order of pot stickers to share, because who can resist those little fried dumplings?
If you’re a fan of pot stickers at all, you’ll definitely want to snag an order of the offerings at Sam Hawk — not only were they fried to perfection, but stuffed with just the right amount of meat and veggies to make us keep reaching out for more.
As our entrées arrived, we were surprised but delighted by the additional cold side dishes that found themselves on our table, giving us a chance to sample the traditional kimchee (or kimchi — a fermented style of cabbage and generally an acquired taste), as well as a Korean take on cubed potato, black beans, bean sprouts and what tasted like a style of pickle.
The real taste bud party started as we dove into our entrées, including Bibimpop (chicken, tofu or beef with rice, vegetables, seaweed, an egg and red pepper paste), Mandu Guk (a flavorful beef broth with dumplings — essentially pot stickers before they hit the frying oil), Jop Chae (clear noodles in sauce with vegetables and beef) and Beef Bulgogi (beef strips grilled in Korean BBQ sauce with onions, mushrooms and green onions, and served with lettuce and a soybean paste).
Though a little more pricey (coming in at $11.99), the Beff Bulgogi was hands down the star of the table. The seasoning and sauce were exquisite, and my plate was piled high with beef that only tasted better when added to the side of rice served with each entrée.
A close second in flavor was the Mandu Guk, making us wish we all had bigger spoons to enjoy the delicious broth surrounding the dumplings. For an extra kick of flavor, we added in a little of the kimchee, which made for an even more seasoned broth, and a perfect pairing with the meat and vegetable dumplings.
For those looking for a little healthier plate, the Bibimpop was the lightest dish on our table, including a little more fresh and healthy ingredients while not compromising the rich and authentic flavor.
We even appreciated the unique, deep flavor of the Jop Chae, as well as the added chewiness of the noodles.
Though we didn’t manage to snag any refills for our water or drinks and our waiter was a little scarce, the only real complaint we had was the wait for the check, a bit of a downer after an otherwise fabulous meal.
With top-notch flavor and a wide variety of menu options from beef to octopus, squid and seaweed to pork ribs, we’ll definitely be adding Sam Hawk Korean Restaurant to our regular list of dinner options. Just make sure to give yourself plenty of time and be assertive about what you need for the best experience.
SAM HAWK KOREAN RESTAURANT
Where: 660 N. Freedom Blvd., Provo
Hours: Open 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Monday-Saturday, closed Sunday.
Prices: $5.99-$21.99 for single and double serving appetizers and entrées
Info: (801) 377-7766, Facebook.com/Sam-Hawk-Korean-Restaurant-114165495347995